Spring-roller.



A. M. MAOFARLAND- SPRING ROLLER.

APPLIUATION rum) 1120.15.1911.

1,021,057. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

A; 63mm 5 comm PMNOGIAPN Gil-.WAININUTON. D. C-

v UNITED STA' llliS IjTENT OFFICE.

ALLISON M. MAGFARLAND, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE KINNEARMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF WEST VIR-GINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SPRING-ROLLER.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

rolling fire shutters that they be manually operable in normalcircumstances. If such shutters, when heavy, are to be made manuallyoperable they should be provided with a suitable counter-balancingmember. This member oftentimes is conveniently in the form of-a spring.To entirely release such a spring as in case of fire permits a tooviolent descent of the shutter endangering its integrity and futureusefulness.

The object of the present invention is,

generally stated, to utilize the principle first stated and to providein a normally operable shutter a construction in which the effectivelength of spring is automatically increased by a dangerous rise oftemperature and its action on the barrel and shutter thereby lessenedand therefore the shutter permitted to descend but without such violenceas if there were no restraining action at all. The particular degree ofrestraining force can, of course, be provided for by the adoption ofsuitable dimensions of spring or spring portions. As an advantageincident to such construction the restraining force can be made such asto so far counterbalance the weight of the shutter in its closedposition as to permit the latter to be easily raised by,

hand and therefore permit'the egress of persons from the building or theaccess of firemen to the interior thereof.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described andthen pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming part hereofthe view represents acentral vertical sect-ion taken longitudinally through the roller.

In the drawings the character 5 designates the shaft which is fixed byany suitable means in the brackets 6 and 6*. T

character 7 designates a barrel to which the rolling shutter 7 issecured as usual, said barrel having permanently secured in it at oneend a plug or head 8. At its other end the barrel has secured to turnwith it by means of a pin 9 that is fusible by a dangerous rise oftemperature one end of a spoolshaped head 10.

Pinned to the shaft 5 within the barrel is a collar 11 to which isattached the tension member or coil spring. This spring is composed oftwo portions 12 and 12 connected by a straight part 12". The mainportion 12 of the spring is attached to the collar 11 while thesupplementary portion 12 encircles the spool-shaped device 10 and hasits free end connected to the barrel at 13. The connecting portion 12 ofthe spring fits in a transverse groove 10 in the rim of the inner headof the spool-shaped device 10 so as to prevent operation of the springportion 12'when the spool-shaped head turns with the drum. The spring asa whole is secured to the shaft and barrel so that when the shutter isunwound the tension of the spring is increased. The spring portion 12 ismade of sufficient length and power to counterbalance the shutter fornormal operation and the spring portion 12 is made of such length thatwhen operatively added to the portion 12 the whole spring will beinsutiicicnt to counterbalance the shutter but sufficient to prevent atoo violent precipitation of the shutter when the latter isautomatically released.

From the construction shown and described, therefore. the operation isplain. WVhen the barrel is turned on the shaft,-as in unwinding theshutter, the portion 12 of the spring is placed under tension orincreased tension, the spool-shaped device and spring thereon turninginert with the barrel. When the spool-shaped device is released by themelting of the fusible pin 9 both the spring portions 12 and 12 becomeoperable by the barrel because the spring portion 12 is connected withthe barrel and the portion 12 connected with the stationary collar 11 onthe shaft.

Changes in the form and arrangement of the parts can be made withoutdeparting from the gist of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a rolling shutter, the combination with shutter-rc iving memb r, of a n rmally operable tension member therefor, asupplementary tension member and means whereby the two tension membersare rendered jointly operable to lessen the resistance of the normallyoperable tension memher.

2. In a rolling shutter, the combination with a rotatableshutter-receiving member, a normally operable tension member therefor, asupplementary tension member connected with the shutter-receivingmember, a device to which the two tension members are connected andmeans releasable by a dangerous rise of temperature for connecting saiddevice with the shutter-receiving member.

In a rolling shutter, the combination with a shutter-receiving member,of a normally operable tension member therefor, a supplementary tensionmember connected with the shutter-receiving means, a device about whichthe supplementary member is wound and connected, and fusible means forconnecting the same with shutter receiving member, said normallyoperable tension member being connected with the means about which thesupplementary tension member is wound.

4. In a rolling shutter, the combination with a rotating shutterreceiving member and a stationary supporting shaft for the same, of anormally operable tension member connected with the shaft, asupplementary.tension member connected with the slmtter-receiving memberand the first named tension member, and means releasable by a dangerousrise of temperature for holding said supplementary tension member inertduring the normal operation of the shutter.

5. In a rolling shutter, the combination with a rotatable shutterreceiving member and a stationary supporting shaft for the same, of anormally operable tension member connected with the shaft, asupplementary tension member connected with the first named tensionmember, a spool about which the supplementary tension member is wound,the two tension members engaging said spool and the supplementarytension member connected with the shutter receiving member, and meansfusible by a dangerous rise of temperature for connecting said spoolwith the shutter receiving member.

ALLISON M. MAOFARLAND.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM O. AzZoLI, J. L. J. BRADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, -Washington, D. G.

